Barack Obama has renewed sanctions against Sudan's government, keeping pressure on Khartoum to stick to the timetable for holding a referendum on southern independence.
Sudan is 10 weeks away from the scheduled start of a referendum that could lead to independence for its oil-producing south. If mishandled, the referendum could destabilize the region.
The White House issued a letter from Obama to congress saying he was extending long-standing economic sanctions, a notice required by law each year to keep them in place.
The measures restrict trade and investment in Sudan and also block the assets of the Sudanese government and certain officials, among other things.
With trust low as both sides in the referendum exchange recriminations, progress has slowed on resolving disputes such as the status of the oil-producing Abyei region, determining citizenship and forging an oil-sharing accord.
South Sudan is struggling to recover from Africa's longest civil conflict, which was triggered by ethnicity, ideology, religion and resources such as oil and left an estimated two million people dead.
PHOTO CAPTION
A Sudanese policeman observes as airport employees transport shipments of voting kits to be used in the upcoming referendum on southern independence upon their arrival in Khartoum from South Africa on October 24.
Agencies